Cotton-picking machine.



No. 877,754. PATENTED JAN. 28, 1908. H. E. BULLOGK.

COTTON PICKING MACHINE.

AwLloATIoN FILED PBB.21.1907.

yWl'l'l'iwI My/a mi Z E f J2 J HENRY E. BULLooK, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

'CQTTON-PIOXING um. l

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led February 21. 1907- Berial No. 858.554

i 'remue Jan. as, 100e.

To all whom 'it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY E. BULLooK, subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Cotton-Picking Machines, of which the following is afull, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, formingua part of this specification. y

y invention relates to cotton picking machines, and has reference to the picking fingers thereof and also to the picker column construction.v

As is well known, cotton picking machines include picker columns,each having a support for the bearings of picking fingers, an

operating shaft journaled in the ends of the4 picker column, gear wheels provided upon said shaft, and picking fingers carried by the bearings and projectlng lnwardly at their bases into proximity with the gear wheels and carrying gear wheels at their bases whichk mesh with the aforesaid gear wheels.- Hitherto, the picking fingers have been formed of substantially uniform diameter at the base portions thereof, where said fingers are liable to considerable wear.

In accordance with one object of my invention, I preferably thicken the base portions of the fingers, each finger desirably carrying two separated annular enlargements which are adapted to be borne by the finger bearing, the said finger enlargements and the bearing supporting the same forming, with the portion of the finger between its enlar ements, a pocket into which lubricating oi or other material ma be received. This pocket is )referably annu ar. In order that the life o the finger may be increased, I desirably make the said enlargement or enlargements of each finger removable, so that when they become materially worn, they may be replaced, whereby the original finger may remain intact, inasmuch as its said enlargements, when made separable, will alone be subject to wear. Where it is desired to make these enlargements separable i and at the same time provide-two enlargements u )on each finger, separated as hitherto state the said enlargementsY upon each finger may be made either in two distinct and separated sleeves or may bey provided by one Another feature of my invention residesin -providin bosses to constitute the bearings or the ers, which bosses, in accordance with this eature of my invention, are enlarged in directions coincident with the planes of movement of the fingers so as to afford sufficient metal in which oil passages may be formed to conduct oil from the inte rior of the picker column (which preferably has oil carrying capacity) to the finger bearmgs.

I will describe my invention more fully by reference to the accom an 'ng awing, showing the preferred em odlments thereo in which- Figure 1 is a view in elevation showing so much of a icker column as is essential to an understan ing of my invention, part of the structure bein broken away for illustration. ig. 2 is an enlarge sectionall view on line 2 2 of Fi 1. Fig. 3 is a view of a part of a picker co umn showin a picking finger therein, being a modification of the structure illustrated in Fi s. 1 and 2.

' Like arts are indicate by similar characters o reference ythroughout the different figures. l

The column support is desirably formed in two sections a b, the section a bein provided with two bearings c c for the s aft d, to which shaft motion may beimparted in any suitable and well-known way. The portion a of the support is desirably made semicylindrical at the rear and is provided with two arallel continuations of said semicylin rical portion, which parallel continuations terminate in marginal enlargements e e. The operating shaft d is provided with bevel gear wheels f, there bein one such wheel to operate each cotton pic ing finger. The support section b is preferably in the sov form of a plate that is fastened in position intervening between the same'for strengthening purposes said webs k being also desirably formed in the same casting. The picking fingers project through the bores in the bosses, and eachfinger carries va wheelZ- on its inner-end, .that meshes withV the corresponding wheel f, it being, of course, understood that the wheelsl are fixed to the iin ers t and that the wheels f are .fixed to the s aft d. The Wheels are within the gear casing formed by the elements a b.

Each boss has its bearings desirably formed of substantially uniform diameter 'Ject slightly into the material of the finger for the urpose stated, this fastening means being a so indicated in the structure shown in Fig. 3. When the bearing 'sleeve becomes worn, it may be removed and replaced by another.

Where the fingers are to be copiously supplied with oil for lubricating purposes, an annular chamber, or a chamber of other suitable shape, may be provided at h1, which chamber may have communication with the interior of the picker colunm through the channel o, from which the lubricating oil may be fed into the chamber hl. In order that this chamber may be of sufficient size, the' ortion of the sleeve m may be of reduced iameter where said chamber is located and the portion of the bore of the boss h may be enlarged, so that oil, or other material that is to be fed to thefingers for any selected purpose, may have a suiiiciently large hold- 1n chamber. l r

preferably make the channel 0 of a large size to constitute the same a reservoir, communication being had between said reservoir and the interior ofthe picker column by Way of the duct portion o. Two-duct portions o2 o3 that converge toward the chamber h are provided for affording conu'nunication between the .reservoir o and the chamber h1,

y' these duct portions being displaced longitudinally of the finger.

By thus converging the channel-portions o2 o3, it will be seen that if the lfinger is pointing downwardly, .oil readily finds passage through the channel portion o, whereas if the finger is pointing upwardly, oil vreadily finds passage through the channel portion o3. The duct portions swf/s4 elfo o3 are -formed in an enlargement by the B5 boss h, which enlargementI is directdin the planev ofl movement of the finger, where sufficient room is afforded. A cottonjjpicking machine having its fingers thus equippedl is provided with reservoirs individual tothe .pickin fingers thereof', as will-be apparent.

In t e construction shown in Fig. 3, the characteristics are generally similar to-the characteristics shown in Fi s. 1 ad 2, "with the exception that theportions of the .sleevev between which the oil-receiving chamber is v' to be formed, are totally separate and are separately'disposable upon the fingers and 'separately removable therefrom. In this construction, the bore of the boss does not necessarily need to be enlarged'at h1 Where the oilchamber is to be located. While the removable sleeves are preferably of greaterdiameter than the balance of the finger, I do not wish to be limited to this construction.

While I have herein shown and particularly described preferred embodiments of my invention, Ido not wish to be limited to' the precise constructions herein shown,as changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, but, v

I-Iaving thus described my invention, yI claim as new and desire to secure by Letters- Patent the followingr- 1. A cotton picking machine including picker columns each adapted to act as a main fluid reservoir, picking fingers, each provided with a displaceable enlargement in .the form of a sleeve having portions between which a fluid-receiving groove or space intervenes, and bearings engaging .the enlargements of the pickin fingers and located upon-the exterior of tlzie picker columns and carried thereby, each having a Huid-containing space in fluid conductive connection icking finger it supports, therel with the being a uct in the bearing intervening between this space and the main oil reservoir afforded by the associate icker column.

2. A cotton picking mac `ne including picker columns each ada ted to act asa main fiuid reservoir, pic ng ngers each providedwith a displaceable enlargement in the form of a sleeve, and bearings engaging the enlargements of the picking fingers and vlocated 'upon the exterior of-the lpicker columns and carried thereby, each having a fluid-containing s ace in fiuid conductlve .connection with t e picking finger it supports, there being a duct in the bearing mtervening between this space and the.

main oil reservoir afforded by theyassociate pickercolumn. 3. A cotton pickingv machinel including picker columns each ada ted to act asv a' main fluid reservoir, pic 'ng fingers, and

pickin 'r finger bearings upon the exteriorlof.

the pic ercolumns and carried thereby, each having a uid-containing sace in fluid conmy name this 16th day of February A. D., ductive connctiolr; Wt t e picllinlg,r nger 1907. it su orts, t ere eng uots int e earn s intergflening between these spaces and tlgle HENRY E' BULLOCK' 5 main oil reservoir aorded by the associate' Witnesses:

picker column. LEON G. STROH, In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe G. L. CRAGG. a 

